German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrives in India to attend Intergovernmental Consultations

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in India on Thursday to attend the seventh Intergovernmental Consultations and the 18th Asia Pacific Conference of German Business (APK 2024). Upon landing in Delhi, Scholz was received by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai. Taking to X, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote: "Herzlich willkommen in Neu Delhi! Olaf Scholz of Germany lands in New Delhi for the 7th Intergovernmental Consultations and the 18th Asia Pacific Conference of German Business (APK 2024). Warmly received with a ceremonial welcome by MoS for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai." Scholz, who visited India twice last year for a bilateral State Visit in February 2023 and to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit in September 2023, will be accompanied by senior ministers in his cabinet during the October 24-26 visit and will also travel to Goa.

On Friday, the German Chancellor will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his Lok Kalyan Marg residence, following which both leaders will inaugurate and address the 18th Asia Pacific Conference of German Business (APK 2024) that will see the participation of around 650 top business leaders and CEOs from Germany, India, and other countries. The biennial event for business leaders, executives, and political representatives from Germany and the countries in the Indo-Pacific is expected to give a further fillip to trade and investment ties between our two countries. After that, there will be a joint plenary session of all participants in the government consultations chaired by the heads of government. The IGC is a whole-of-government framework under which ministers from both sides hold discussions in their respective areas of responsibility and report on the outcome of their deliberations to the Prime Minister and Chancellor.

"Both leaders will hold bilateral talks to discuss enhanced security and defence cooperation, greater opportunities for mobility of talent, deeper economic cooperation, Green and Sustainable Development Partnership and collaboration in the area of emerging and strategic technologies. Discussions will also focus on important regional and global developments," the MEA detailed earlier this week. The German Chancellor will then travel to Goa on Saturday where the German naval frigate 'Baden-Wuerttemberg' and combat support ship 'Frankfurt am Main' are making a scheduled port call as part of Germany's Indo-Pacific deployment. "India and Germany have had a strategic partnership since 2000. Over the years, this partnership has deepened and diversified across various sectors. The two countries are celebrating 50 years of Science and Technology collaboration this year. As we enter the 25th year of strategic partnership, the visit of Chancellor Scholz will pave the way for further strengthening of our bilateral ties," the MEA stated. During his 2023 visits, Scholz was quite impressed by India as a high-tech nation with great expertise in digitalisation and software development.

"We want to and must take advantage of the potential that exists here, which, among other things, will help us to boost the resilience of our own economy," he said following his business meetings in Bangalore. He has also emphasised Germany's great interest in collaborating with India in other economic sectors such as renewable energies, wind power, solar energy, and biomass.